


Alternate

by samlapiana



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, F/M, Past Abuse, Protective Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-10-31 12:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10899057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samlapiana/pseuds/samlapiana
Summary: Your life had been pretty fucked up thus far. You escaped your past, true. But your life now is not exactly how you pictured it.When you wake up next to a stranger and two years in the future, you're pretty thrown. The only thing that could be crazier?Sam and Dean Winchester knocking on the door.You have to find out how you got there, and who turned your world upside down. Along the way, though, you will have to muddle through relationships and past issues coming up.Leave it to Dean Winchester to make an alternate universe even harder to handle.





	1. Chapter 1

_Dean’s perfect green eyes stared up at you as he slowly slid his hands down your stomach and to the button of your jeans. You smiled and bit your lip, excitement already building in your stomach._

_He unbuttoned your pants and you lifted your hips so she could slide them off of you. He did, taking your panties with them. He slowly crawled back up to your face, kissing you deeply. He had undressed inhumanly quickly, and he was already aligned at your entrance._

_Dean pulled back and looked deep into your y/e/c eyes, and you knew what he was about to say was important._

_“I'm bulletproof_  
Nothing to lose  
Fire away, fire away.”

Your eyes snapped open and you took a moment to orient yourself before reaching over to turn off your phone alarm. You laid back again, rolling your eyes at the song you had chosen to wake up to—“Titanium” by David Guetta.

You laid for a few minutes thinking about your dream. You were actually saddened that it was just a dream. The hunky Dean Winchester would surely be a wonderful sexual experience.

_Too bad he’s fictional._

You rolled out of bed, staggering your way to the bathroom to relieve yourself. You took a quick shower, blasting your classic rock mix from your Bluetooth speaker as you did to help you wake up. You dried off, listening to the lyrics to “A Well Respected Man.” You shook your head, thinking of one of your favorite _Supernatural_ episodes that uses the same song.

Your life had been feeling pretty mundane of late, and the song only further frustrated you about this. Your dog, Roxy, pushed her nose to the cracked bathroom door, looking up at you with her big brown eyes. You bent down and gave her a good pat, your towel still wrapped around you.

“Finally decided to get out of bed, huh girl?” You asked her. She wagged her tail ferociously in response. You had gotten Roxy nearly two years ago from a shelter. She was a mutt, and you have never been sure what she was made up of. She was around 25 pounds, but had the mentality of a bigger dog. She had a brindle coat and short, floppy ears. She had been the best thing to happen to you in your adult life thus far. She was the most loving dog you had ever met, and she had gotten you through some tough times.

You kissed her fury head and stood up, going to your room to finish getting ready for work. You dried your y/h/c hair and left it down in its loose waves. You put on your usual amount of makeup (enough to look like you did something, but not enough to take too much time). You dressed in your black pants and nice shirt—the required dress code for your job—and took Roxy outside before filling her food bowl and heading out the door of your small apartment.

You drove in your beat-up Honda Accord the fifteen minutes to work. After you pulled into your parking spot, you breathed a deep sigh, resting your head on the steering wheel.

You had taken a job as a receptionist at an advertising agency. Not that you had wanted to. You used to work tending bar, which you had loved. You were good at it, for one. And B, you loved interacting with all the different people that came in to the bar from day to day.

Unfortunately, your rent went up and your paycheck did not. So you had to find something more ‘practical.’ Or boring, in other words.

_Tap tap tap_.

You looked up from the steering wheel to see Nancy staring in the car window at you. Nancy had her usual gigantic glasses, wild curly hair, and smudged lipstick on that morning. She was also holding two paper coffee cups, though, which is partly why you opened the door and got out of the car.

“Well good morning, sunshine! Got you a coffee,” she said, handing you one of the cups.

“Thanks,” you said, taking the cup. Nancy babbled near-constantly all the way into the building and through the elevator ride. You nodded along, pretending to listen the whole way. When you got to your desk at the front of the office, Nancy bid you adieu and went on her way to her cubicle near the back. Though you weren't totally fond of her, Nancy was one of the only people to be nice to you at work, so you didn’t want to cut the only tie you had.

You got to work, keeping an ear bud in so you could listen to _Supernatural_ on Netflix while you worked. It was your favorite show, and you had actually become pretty obsessed with the show. You watched every season available rather quickly and had since watched the seasons multiple times. You found it was a good escape from reality for you.

By the end of the day, you were so bored that you wanted to pull your hair out. You went home, spent time with Roxy, and went to bed.

As you laid there, you thought over your day and couldn’t help but feeling disappointed. This was not how you wanted your life to turn out. You were bored, unhappy, and most of all: alone. You fell asleep, a single tear still on your cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

Before you even opened your eyes, you could feel that something was different. Your normally scratchy sheets felt velvety soft, and your quilt felt fluffy, like it was filled with feathers. You slowly cracked open your eyes, taking a moment to look around the room.

It was definitely not your room in your apartment. It was much nicer than that. There were tall ceilings, shaggy carpet, and beautiful furniture everywhere. You looked at the floor and saw Roxy pacing around, sniffing everything she could.

Confused, you turned your head only to be met by a sleeping man next to you. You slapped a hand over your mouth to keep from screaming and waking him up. You carefully extracted yourself from the bed, motioning for Roxy to follow you out of the room.

_Did I go out last night? I did go home with this man?_

Your mind was spinning as you tried to figure out what could have happened the night before. You were sure you had come home from work and gone to bed. Any if you hadn’t, Roxy certainly wouldn’t be with you at a stranger’s house.

You stood in the stranger’s kitchen, looking everywhere for your cell phone—or any cell phone, for that matter. You saw it sitting on the far counter, plugged in to a charger. You unplugged it and looked at the lock screen, a picture of Roxy staring back at you. The date, however, had you pausing.

_What the fuck? 2013?_

Yesterday it had definitely been 2011. You chalked it up to your phone being on the fritz and unlocked it. Another surprise laid in wait, though. There behind all of your apps was a picture of you and the man you were in bed with, who you knew you had never seen before in your life.

Not only were you in a picture with this man, but you were in a wedding picture with this man. As in wearing a wedding dress.

_What the actual fuck?!?_

You started to panic, your breath coming quickly as you tried to wrap your mind around what was happening. You looked at Roxy, who was watching you with her tail wagging nervously. She could always tell when you were upset.

Roxy looked the same. She did not look two years older.

_So I’m pretty sure I didn’t just lose two years of memories or something._

You signaled Roxy to follow you, walking toward the front of the house in search of the front door. You found it, and before you could think about what you were wearing or where you were going to go, you opened it.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Dean

“I get what you’re saying, Cas, but I just don’t get why this has anything to do with us,” Dean said into the phone.

“I am not in the area and I think it is something that needs to be checked out. Please, Dean, just do it.” With that the line went dead and Dean pulled it from his ear, sighing.

“What was that all about?” Sam asked from his spot at the library table.

“Cas has a possible case he wants us to check out. Something about ‘a lot of energy’ coming from a house not far from here,” Dean explained, sitting down next to his brother. Things had been slow anyway, so Dean didn’t really mind checking it out.

“Okay. Well it couldn’t hurt to go see, right?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

\-------

  
Sam and Dean pulled up to the curb in front of a nice house in the suburbs. It was big, definitely belonging to someone with a lot of money.

“Alright, what do you say, gas line inspectors?” Dean asked, looking for a reason to say the brothers were at the house.

“Sounds good to me,” Sam replied, unfolding his long body to get out of the car. The brothers approached the house and stopped at the front door. Just as Dean raised his hand to knock, the door swung open.

Standing before them was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. You had flowing y/h/c hair, sparkling y/e/c eyes, and were in nothing but a rather short and low-cut nightgown. A small dog sat next to you, growling low in its throat at the strange men.

Sam cleared his throat, elbowing Dean in the ribs.

“Ow—uh, hi, I’m James and this is my coworker Dave, we’re with the—“

“Sam and Dean Winchester?” You asked, her eyes wide and full of disbelief. Dean placed his hand on the handle of the gun in his waistband, suspicious of how you knew who they were.

“You—you know who we are?” Sam asked you.

“Uh…yes? I guess you’re probably Jared and Jensen, though?” You replied.

Dean rolled his eyes at the stupid names of the actors who played him and Sam in that alternate universe where their life was a TV show.

He crinkled his brow. “Wait, how do you know who Jared and Jensen are?”

You looked at him, clearly annoyed. “What?” You said, not hiding your anger.

Suddenly, a man came up behind you and placed a hand on your hip. You immediately stiffened, your eyes wide.

“Who are these guys, hon?” He asked. The look on your face was absolute terror, and Dean felt something stir in him that he couldn’t quite place. Protectiveness, maybe?

Before he could really think it through, he punched the man in the face, knocking him out and causing him to fall to the floor.

“Dean! What are you doing?” Sam yelled.

You looked at Dean, some of the panic gone from your eyes. “Thank you,” you said.

“No problem. Now how about we talk about what the hell is going on?” Dean asked. You moved to the side and the brothers walked into the house, stepping over the unconscious man as they went.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Sorry for the delay in update, everyone. My wedding is on Saturday so things have been kinda crazy. May be a bit before I can update again as I'll be on my honeymoon. So, in the great words of Charlie,

And thanks for reading!!

 

* * *

 

You

You couldn’t believe that you were sitting across from Sam and Dean Winchester. Or Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles; you weren’t sure which yet.

The three of you had sat down in the living room of the house you apparently lived in. The boys sat on the couch while you occupied the armchair across from them.

“How do you know who we are?” Dean/Jensen asked.

“Well, I watch Supernatural nearly constantly…” you began. Sam/Jared hung his head.

“Crap. She’s from that universe where our lives are a TV show,” he said.

“I’m sorry, from the universe?” You replied. “Where exactly does that mean I am?” You were trying to stay calm but were starting to find it difficult.

“Looks like you’re in TV land now, sweetheart,” Dean said, smirking lightly.

“You—you mean like “French Mistake,” but backwards?” You asked. Both men had confusion on their faces. “When you guys traveled to the other universe where you were actors—that was an episode on the show.”

“Oh. Then, yes,” Sam said.

“Shit.”

Roxy whined a bit at your feet and you lifted your hand to pat her head. She could tell you were upset and was trying to comfort you. Thus far she had been eyeing the men wearily.

“So you know the mutt, but not the guy?” Dean asked.

“Roxy. And yes. She was with me in my home universe.”

“And you have no idea how you got here, or who sent you here?” Sam asked. You shook your head. You weren’t even sure why someone would find you significant enough to move you in the first place.

“Can you guys get me out of here? I have no idea who that guy is,” you said, starting to worry about him waking up.

Dean looked put out, but Sam gave him a look that said they would be helping you. “We can help you—“ he looked to you for your name.

“Y/N,” you replied.

“Y/N. But as for leaving…I think you are going to have to wait until he wakes up and tell him you’re leaving. Otherwise he’ll think we kidnapped you.”

“Okay, I’ll figure something out,” you responded, already trying to plan what you would say.

“We’ll be parked around the block. ’67—“

“Impala, yeah,” you cut Dean off. He looked a little freaked out for a moment by your knowledge of him, but you had no time to worry about that. The boys left, and before your ‘husband’ could wake you began packing a bag.

\----------

“Yeah, you were sleep walking, and when you tried to open the door you hit yourself right in the face.”

The lie was stupid, but you weren't sure this ‘husband’ of yours was that smart anyway. He nodded slowly, clearly still not buying the story completely. You had convinced him that whatever men he saw was just a dream, though.

“Listen, I know this is sudden but I got a call this morning and I need to go out of town for work for a week or so. They are letting me bring Roxy since I told them I didn’t have anyone to watch her. I just didn’t want her to be a burden for you. So…I’m going to go now,” you explained awkwardly.

Chad (that was his name, apparently) nodded, still looking a little dazed. You decided to use this to your advantage, giving him a kiss on the cheek and slipping out the front door with Roxy. You walked down the block to the beautiful Impala that awaited you, sliding into the back seat.

“Uh-uh, no dogs allowed,” Dean said when he saw you had Roxy.

“Dean, there is no way in hell I’m leaving her. So either I get out now and figure all this out on my own, or you let me bring her,” you responded sternly. You were in no mood to argue over bringing your best friend with you.

Dean harrumphed and turned on the ignition. Sam turned and gave you a smirk, clearly impressed that you won that battle. Silence filled the car as Dean drove, no one sure of what to say. Roxy stood up on her hind legs to rest her paws on the back of the front seat. Sam turned his head, which allowed her to give him a big kiss on his cheek. You chuckled a bit, watching as Roxy’s tail wagged quickly with joy as Sam pulled her over to the front to sit on his lap.

Dean looked at Sam, rolling his eyes. Sam continued to pet Roxy until she was tired enough to curl up in his lap and take a nap. Your heart warmed at this. You could only hope that these Winchesters were similar to the ones on the show, but you couldn’t be sure. Roxy’s approval meant a lot to you, though. She was always a good judge of character.

Not long after, Sam fell asleep as well, his head resting on the window. Dean kept sneaking glances at you in the mirror, and you pretended not to notice for his sake.

“So…once we get to the bunker we can regroup and try to figure out what is going on,” Dean said. You pulled your attention from the passing farmland and looked at him in the rear view mirror. He was uncomfortable—you could tell.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” You searched your brain for something to make him feel at ease. “You got any music?”

Dean smiled. “Do I got any music?” He mocked. “Hell yeah I do!” Dean putt a tape in—a mix he had apparently made of classic rock songs. You could tell that filling the silence with music had been the right thing to suggest. The two of you sang along quietly the rest of the ride to the bunker. You kept a semi-happy face on even though your nerves were growing with each passing mile.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean

Dean pulled Baby into the garage and killed the engine. He nudged Sam, who woke up with a start. The mutt in his lap sat up, slowly stretching her neck with a big yawn. Even though he didn’t love dogs, Dean had to admit that the little pup was cute.

He shook away the thought and got out of the car. You followed close behind, a look that Dean thought was awe on your face.

“What?” He asked you as the three of you walked inside.

“It’s just…I never thought I’d actually be walking into the bunker.”

“Oh, God, you’re not one of those crazy fans like we had to deal with when we learned about the books, are you?” Dean asked.

You glared at him, and he felt a spark of challenge flare in his belly. “No. I Just watched the show a lot. And I know you guys think you’re lives suck, but trust me, things could be worse.” Dean noticed a far-off look in your eyes, like you were remembering something. He made a mental note to ask about that later.

_Not that I should really care. Once we figure it out, this girl is going right back to her own universe._

You continued looking around, Roxy following at your heels. Dean watched as you took everything in, and followed you to the library where you lightly ran your fingers over the books there. He studied the way you moved gracefully around the room, hungrily looking at everything there.

“So, shall we try to figure out what the hell is going on?” Sam asked, sitting down at the table.

You snapped your head in his direction, seemingly coming out of an almost trance-like state.

“Yes, let’s,” you said, sitting across from him. Dean decided to sit next to you, fearing you would feel it was an interrogation otherwise. You brought Roxy to sit on your lap. Dean noticed the way petting her seemed to relax you almost instantly.

“Okay, so, can you tell us a bit about what your life was like back in your universe?” Sam asked.

“Sure. It wasn’t anything special. I lived alone—well, with Roxy. We were in a one bedroom apartment. I worked as a secretary,” you said with a little disappointment in your voice.

“And?” Dean asked, hoping there was more information than that.

“And nothing. I pretty much kept to myself.”

“What about family? Or friends?” Sam asked.

You got uncomfortable at the question, that much was clear. “N-No, no family. Like I said, I kept to myself.”

Dean knew there was more to it than that, but decided to let it go for now. “So you just woke up here?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well I think we better call Cas. He might be able to figure something out,” Sam said, getting out his phone.

“While he does that, how ‘bout I show you your room?” Dean asked, standing up.

“Oh, I—I don’t have to stay here. I can get a motel or something,” you said, looking down.

“Darlin’, I doubt many motels are going to allow a dog. And with what money? Besides, we have plenty of room here. Just don’t hog the shower,” Dean said with a wink. You looked up and finally smiled. Dean felt a definite flutter in his stomach at the look, and he knew he wanted to make you smile again.

\-------------

You

You followed Dean down the hall with all the rooms to where you would be staying. He pushed open the door and turned on the light, revealing a room that was actually bigger than your room in your apartment.

Against the center of the wall across from the door was a queen sized bed with a plain quilt. A bedside table with an old-fashioned alarm clock sat next to the bed, and a large dresser made of beautiful dark wood was against the right wall.

Roxy immediately jumped up onto the bed, curling up in a ball. You knew she was tired from all the change that had happened in the last 24 hours. You were glad to see she was able to make herself at home.

Dean rolled his eyes a little before speaking. “If you need anything, my room is right across the hall.”

Your stomach fluttered a little with nerves. “Thanks. I think Roxy and I will lay down for a bit until we hear from Castiel, if that’s okay.”

“Sure. Sleep tight, princess,” he said with a wink. He turned and left, closing the door behind him. You let out a deep exhale.

You walked out the bed and sat down, taking it all in. While your inner fan-girl was screaming at the thought of being in the bunker, the rest of you was terrified about what was going on. Part of you was scared that none of it was even real, that you were having some sort of psychotic break.

You laid back on the bed, your head starting to swirl. Here you were, stuck in an alternate universe, and all you could think about was how goddamn beautiful Dean Winchester was in person.

You rolled your eyes. Definitely the last thing I should be thinking about. There was something about his eyes, though. Sure, you had seen them plenty of times on the show and on the actor that played him in your world, but here, in person? They were so bright green that you could have sworn you were looking at moss just after a spring rain.

Yuck. You hated when people said things like that. And yet, you couldn’t stop yourself. You closed your eyes, your mind’s eye seeing those beautiful greens staring back at you.

\------------

  
_You cower beneath the blanket._

_“I’m just gonna tell Y/N goodnight.” You hear his voice drift in from the hall. You clutch the blanket tighter over your head, as if doing so would make you disappear. You hated when he came in your room. He told you it was good, that it was what all brothers and sisters who loved each other did._

_So why were you so terrified?_

_The door slowly creaks open, and you begin to shake._

_“Y/N…come out from under there. It’s time to play.”_

_“Y/N…Y/N…”_

“Y/N!”

Your eyes flew open and you saw him hovering over you. You kicked and hit with all your might till he was on the floor, away from you. Roxy growled and barked at him, telling him to stay down.

“Y/N, what’s going on? It’s Dean!”

You blinked a few times more and looked down at him. You hadn’t realized that it had been Dean waking you up, that the memory or dream or whatever wasn’t real. Panting, you ran your hands through your hair, removing the pieces that were stuck to your face with sweat.

“I—I’m so sorry, Dean. I was having a nightmare,” you said, shaking your head. You got up and reached out a hand, helping him up. He took it reluctantly, eyeing you nervously as he came to his full height.

“That was some nightmare,” he said, clearly itching for you to tell him what it was about.

“Yeah, I’ll say.” You looked down, indicating that you didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Dean shifted nervously from foot to foot.

“So, uh, we got a hold of Cas. He’s in the library, and he wants to talk to you.”

“Oh, okay.” You started to walk past him when he grabbed your arm. You looked up at his concerned mossy eyes.

“You sure you’re okay?” He asked quietly.

You gave him a half hearted smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You shrugged out of his hold and walked out the door, Roxy following close behind you, as always.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Dean

The terror on your face when Dean had tried to wake you had shook him to his core. He knew that it wasn’t really him you were afraid of, but it sure as hell made him want to find whoever or whatever made you so scared and pummel it into the ground.

Dean followed down the hall behind you, giving you a wide berth. Though he would never admit it, you were strong and had really knocked the wind out of him when you woke up. You wrung your hands as you walked, clearly nervous about meeting the angel. Roxy whimpered beside you, sensing your anxiety. You stopped for a moment and picked her up, stroking her head as you continued walking. Your shoulders visibly relaxed.

_I wish I could have helped her relax, too._

Dean crinkled his brow and shook his head.

_What the fuck was that about?_

You turned the corner into the library, Dean still following behind. Cas stood in the middle of the room talking to Sam, who was about to leave the room to answer his phone. Cas had his back to you. When he heard you enter, he turned to look at you. Recognition was immediate in his features.

“You did not tell me that the Y/N you met was Y/N Y/L/N.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders. “We didn’t know. Why, what does that mean?”

“Y/N is very special. I have known about her for a long time.” Cas walked toward you, awkwardly reaching out his hand. You took it, confusion etched on your face.

“Mind explaining what you mean by ‘special’?” Dean asked, his patience waning.

“Y/N has been through a great many hardship. Her survival instincts make her an asset.”

“An asset? What, you wanna hire me?” You asked, your confusion remaining.

“I'm sure you would make a fine employee. However, I am not the one that brought you here. I suspect it was some other angel. A higher up one, perhaps,” Cas responded.

“But what do they want me to do?”

“I don't know for sure, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say they want you for use against enemies. Your abilities could prove very helpful.”

Dean had a bad feeling he knew where this was going. If he was right, he couldn't imagine the pain you’d be put through. He already felt himself wanting to take you away, to protect you.

“The angels would want you to be captured by whomever they are against. They would want you to withstand torture if need be. They would want you behind enemy lines.”

\-----------

You

“Uh-uh, no way, I don’t think so,” Dean said, stepping in front of you.

“Dean, I hardly think you will have much choice,” Cas replied.

“We've stopped these dicks before. So we'll do it again.”

You felt your heart swell a little at Dean’s protectiveness.

“The angel that did this is very powerful. He would have to be to move Y/N from another universe.”

Dean started to argue again but you cut him off by placing a hand on his arm.

“It's fine. We’ll figure it out.” You noticed out of the corner of your eye that Dean relaxed a bit at your touch.

Sam came back into the room then. He was with the three of you in two long strides, his face serious.

“That was Ron. Said there’s a case a few towns over he doesn’t have the time to do,” he said, looking at Dean.

“Uh, can’t it wait? We still have no idea what we’re going to do about Y/N,” Dean argued. You were annoyed that they were talking as if you weren’t there.

“Um, Y/N can take care of herself. And if you think I’m not going with the Winchesters on a real hunt, you’re insane,” you said, brushing past the brothers. You turned back when you realized they weren’t exiting with you. Dean had a scowl on his face while Sam had one eyebrow raised inquisitively. Cas had his usual blank expression. “Well, let’s go. Got lives to save and all,” you said with a wave of your hand. Sam followed after you and Dean looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it.

You had new butterflies in your stomach now. You were excited for the first time in a long time. A real hunt with Sam and Dean Winchester. You didn’t even know what you were up against—or if you would be any good—but you knew that you had faced nightmares in the past, and if you could get through those, you could get through anything.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Dean

_She must be fucking insane._

“Excuse me, princess,” Dean said as he jogged to catch up with you. “What in the world makes you think you are ready for a hunt? There aren't even monsters where you're from!”

You stopped and looked at Dean dead in the eye. He could feel your determination. And if he had doubts about arguing with you before, they increased sevenfold with that look.

“Maybe you didn't hear me before,” you said, stepping closer to Dean until your faces were inches apart. Dean sucked in a small breath at your proximity. “I am going. I know what it takes to kill things, but I'm not an idiot,” you continued, stepping back slightly. “I'll stay back and out of danger. But I am coming.”

Dean wasn't sure how to respond. Every protective bone in his body was screaming to tie you down or something to keep you at the bunker. But for some reason, he found himself trusting what you were saying. Plus he knew that he would literally have to lock you up to keep you from going, and he figured you wouldn't appreciate that.

Dean nodded, unable to physically get himself to agree out loud. You had a small look of surprise on your face that was quickly replaced with a look of triumph. Dean chucked to himself and noticed how cute you were when you realized you had won. A small blush crept up on your cheeks—making you even cuter—when you realized Dean was staring.

Sam cleared his throat from the doorway to the garage, snapping the two of you back to reality. “Are we going, or not?” He asked. Dean followed behind you as you strode determined to the garage. Sam snickered as Dean passed him, and he responded by punching Sam in the shoulder.

“Shut up,” he muttered as he walked toward the drivers’ side of Baby. Sam was still chuckling as he rubbed his shoulder and slid into the passenger side.

\----------

  
You

After Cas had left and the three of you began the trip to the case, you sat in the back seat with thoughts running quickly through your head.

_An angel wants me to help them?_

_How can they even think I’m strong enough for that?_

_And what is this shit about knowing the hardships I’ve been through? They can’t possibly know everything that’s happened._

“Yo, earth to Y/N,” Dean was saying while he stared at you through the rear view mirror.

“Oh, uh, what?” You said, a blush creeping up your neck again.

“Oh, nothing, it’s just that Sammy here was briefing us on the case you insisted on coming on, and I figured you oughta pay attention.”

You looked at Sam sheepishly. “Sorry, Sam.”

“That’s okay. This is all a lot to take in. You know you can stay back at this case, right?” He said gently. Dean rolled his eyes.

“And you should,” he muttered under his breath. You threw him a glare and turned back to Sam. “I’ll be okay, I promise. So what are we up against?”

“So Ron thinks this is a salt-and-burn. It’s a young family that moved into an old farm house. Ron’s known the husband a long time, and apparently knows what line of work we’re in. Husband reported hearing someone walking around in the attic, but every time they checked it was nothing,” Sam explained.

“Okay, couldn’t it just be rats or something?” Dean asked incredulously.

“That was my first thought. Ron said the husband was really concerned though because his wife keeps saying that she is seeing a little boy in the house. They have no children. Their only child died at the age of three—a little girl.”

You felt bad for the family. To have a child die so young only to be haunted by another child? You shuddered thinking about it.

“That all the info he had?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. I think when we get to town Y/N and I should do some research on the house, see if we can find out who has died there in the past. Dean, you should go talk to the family.”

You felt a twinge of disappointment at not being able to talk to the family—or go in the haunted house. You wanted to be where the action was, not sitting at a desk like you did in your home universe.

Dean caught a look at you in the mirror again and seemed to sense your disappointment.

“Y/N can come with me. We’re just interviewing, so it probably won’t be dangerous anyway. I’ll keep an eye on her,” Dean said, glancing at Sam.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Okay. Why don’t you drop me off at the library?”

You smiled up at Dean, who shot a wink back at you.

You tried to ignore the flutter you felt at the look he gave you. And the complete handsomeness his face had to offer.

_Once they know how to get you back to your universe, this will all be over. Don’t get attached._

You pushed all thoughts of Dean and going home to the back of your mind and focused on the excitement you were feeling. You were finally going on a real hunt with the characters you had loved for so long.


	8. Chapter 8

You

“So, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, can you tell us about what you’ve been experiencing that made you reach out to Ron?”

You and Dean sat across from the couple on a small and worn out couch in the living room of the big farm house. You looked around, taking in the homey furnishings the house had to offer. You had never experienced a home like this. Especially not compared with the one you grew up in.

“I—I just don’t really think we need this,” Mrs. Fletcher said hesitantly. You could see in her eyes that there was pain, and you knew she would never open up about it in front of Dean.

“Mrs. Fletcher, if you don’t mind, I’d love to see your garden. I caught a glimpse of it on the way in and it was gorgeous,” you offered.

“Oh, sure, dear.” She got up and led you out the front door, clearly relieved to be out of the presence of the men. You caught one last look from Dean before you left and saw a small grateful smile on his lips.

You didn’t have to feign interest in Mrs. Fletcher’s flowers. You had always admired their beauty, and it was one of the first things you noticed when you and Dean pulled up to the house.

“These are really very beautiful, Mrs. Fletcher,” you said, softly stroking the petals of a deep red rose.

“Please, call me Cindy.”

You smiled at her. “Cindy.” You continued around the garden, admiring the different patterns in which she had planted the flowers. You came to a small patch of lilies that had a flat stone in the middle that was engraved.

_Lily Fletcher—2009-2012  
Always our flower_

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Cindy,” you said, turning back toward her and giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Thank you. She really was the best thing that ever happened to us. We tried so long to have her, and the doctors didn’t think it would ever happen for us. But they were wrong. She was our miracle baby.”

“I hope you don’t mind my asking—how did it happen?” You asked gently.

Cindy closed her eyes, the memory clearly painful for her. “We were playing in the yard, just over there,” she said, pointing to the middle of the big front yard. “I turned my back for one minute to pull some weeds from the garden…she chased after the soccer ball she was playing with—right into the road. The truck that hit her killed her on impact.”

You could feel the pain in her voice. “I can’t even imagine going through what you’ve been through, Cindy. And you know it isn’t your fault. You can’t have your eye on your kid every second of the day,” you said, placing a hand on her arm.

Cindy squeezed her eyes tight before speaking again. “I know why the two of you are here. You want to get rid of the ghost. And I know you’ll think I’m crazy—my husband does—but I can’t let you do that.”

“Why?” You asked, confused.

“Because, the little boy comes to me whenever I need him. All I have to do is say I'm lonely and he appears. He lets me hold him exactly like I used to hold my Lily.”

You hadn’t realized that things had progressed so far with the ghost.

_If it even is a ghost._

“Cindy, does the little boy look like anyone you know?” You asked.

“No, I’ve never seen him before. Why?”

“Never mind. Why don’t we go see how the boys are doing?”

\------------

  
Dean

Dean was doing his best to listen to Mr. Fletcher—John, as he’d asked him to call him. He was having trouble, though. He was feeling a mixture of worry and admiration that he didn’t quite understand. He was worried that you were talking to Mrs. Fletcher on your own when you hadn’t even had any real experience interviewing. And the admiration—confusingly—was for the exact same reason.

Just as John finished explaining to Dean what they had been seeing in their house, you and Mrs. Fletcher came back in from the garden. She was smiling—something she hadn’t done since the second the two of you had walked into the house.

“Ready?” You asked Dean, who stood up promptly.

“Yeah. Thank you, John. We are going to look into this some more and we will be in touch,” Dean said, walking toward you and the door. Dean opened the door and you crossed through, heading toward the Impala as you said goodbye. Dean was about to follow when he felt a tug on his arm.

“She’s one of the good ones,” Mrs. Fletcher said, still clutching Dean’s arm. “Don’t you let her go.”

Unsure of how to respond, Dean smiled and nodded at the woman. He felt the same admiration he experienced before for you. This woman had been unwilling to talk when the two of you entered her home. Clearly whatever you said had done the trick.

Dean slid into the driver seat of Baby and turned to you.

“So, what did you hear from Mr. Fletcher?” You asked immediately.

“Well, from what John said it sure as hell sounds like a haunting. Little boy shows up, never saying a word…”

“Yeah. I wonder if Sam found anything about a boy who died there,” you mused.

“And what did you say to get the lady to talk? She was a clam when we showed up.”

“I didn’t say anything. I just listened to her,” you said. Dean noticed you looking out the window with a small frown on your face.

“Listened? What else is there to listen to besides the story of the ghost?”

You closed your eyes before answering. “Sometimes people who have had tragedy in their lives don’t need to be talked at. They just need a chance to be heard.”

Dean wasn’t completely sure he knew what you meant. He did try to etch your words in his brain, though. He knew if he somehow figured out what they meant, he may just be able to crack you at some point.


	9. Chapter 9

You

“So there hasn’t been any deaths in the house…ever?” Dean asked.

“No, not as far as I could tell,” Sam said. He sat across from you at the library table, his eyebrows scrunched.

“Huh. They haven’t seen or felt any of the usual haunting stuff, either. No cold spells, no flickering lights…I just don’t get it,” Dean responded.

“Maybe it’s not a haunting,” you added.

The boys turned to you, seemingly having forgotten you were there. You met their gazes. “You two should know based on your past experiences that things aren’t always what they seem.”

“She has a point,” Sam said, leaning back in the chair.

“Plus, something Cindy said has been bothering me. She said that whenever she calls for the little boy when she’s lonely, he comes. Have you ever heard of a ghost doing that?”

“Nah, they’re usually the terrorize ‘em and leave ‘em types,” Dean said.

“Wait a minute…this sounds familiar,” Sam said, sitting up and scooting out of his chair. He walked over to one of the many dusty bookshelves and pulled out a tattered amber book. He began flipping through it as he walked and slammed it down on the table when he returned. Inside, you could see scrawling handwriting covering the lined pages.

“Yes, this is it. I read this story a long time ago. One of the Men of Letters recorded this: a little girl whose baby brother had drowned…she didn’t have any friends and after her brother died she began feeling lonely. Her parents would catch her talking to herself and assumed she had an imaginary friend. Not long after, bad things started happening to the parents. The father fell down the stairs and swore something pushed him—the mother was boiling water to make dinner and the pan suddenly poured out onto her feet…eventually they caught sight of the little boy their daughter had been apparently talking to the whole time. Being religious people, they called their priest and had him come examine their house. He found demonic symbols under the little girl’s rugs in her room, sulfur scattered in corners…”

“It was a demon?” Dean asked, confused.

“Yes. The priest performed an exorcism on the whole house and while he was doing it, the little boy appeared and threw him across the room to try to stop him,” Sam continued.

“A demon that wasn’t possessing a body?” You asked.

Sam nodded. “According to some Christian beliefs, demons can manifest themselves as ghosts, monsters, etc…without the use of a body.”

“But how do they even find these poor people?” You asked, still trying to understand.

“It looks like the Man of Letters thought if people were desperate enough, they could accidentally summon it,” Sam said, slowly closing the book.

“Well, Cindy was definitely desperate. She’s devastated at the loss of her daughter,” you explained.

“Okay, so if this is a demon, how do we ice it?” Dean asked.

Sam’s eyes jumped from you to Dean. “Looks like we’ll have to perform an exorcism on a house.”


End file.
